Edward S. Morse

Image: Edward S. Morse (Collection of Hakodate City Central Library)

On June 19, 1877, Edward S. Morse, who had just arrived in Japan, discovered the Omori Shell Mounds from a train window heading toward Shimbashi. This year marks the 140th anniversary of that discovery. I would like to record the relationship between Morse and Fukuzawa.

Morse, a "Great Doctor Hired by Kaisei School" and "one of the most famous archaeologists in the United States," excavated a hill near Omori and unearthed a vast number of "artifacts of ancient people"—this was reported on October 7 of that same year in "Minkan Zasshi," published by Keio University, and was reprinted the following day in the "Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun" (the first report was in an English-language newspaper on the 6th).

From this first academic excavation and research in Japan, Morse's name came to be remembered particularly in connection with the Omori Shell Mounds. The headline of the memorial article published by the "Asahi Shimbun" upon his death also read: "The Late Professor Morse / Excavated the Omori Shell Mounds / A Great Achievement Left to Our Academic World."

However, many other roles that Morse played in Japan can be cited.

First, he paved the way for zoological research in Japan. His original purpose for visiting Japan was to study the brachiopod Lingula, but he was invited to become the first professor of zoology at the University of Tokyo, leaving his mark as an educator and researcher in Japan.

Second, Morse also worked hard to build the foundation for academic research in Japan. Arguing that a university needed its own academic journal, he personally published the report on the Omori Shell Mounds as the first volume of the Memoirs of the Science Department. He also established the Biological Society of the University of Tokyo, which became the predecessor of the Zoological Society of Japan and the Botanical Society of Japan. When he temporarily returned home in the fall of 1877, he collected as many as 2,500 books and magazines and numerous specimens, bringing them to Japan when he returned the following spring, and introduced physicist Mendenhall and philosopher Fenollosa to the University of Tokyo. In his later years, upon hearing of the damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake, he donated his entire library to Tokyo (Imperial) University.

Third, he was the first to introduce Darwin's theory of evolution to Japan and strove to spread it. The historian Aizan Yamaji states in "Gendai Nihon Kyokai Shiron" (1906):

...There were two activities by which the university contributed to the spiritual world of Japan from 1880-81 onwards. One was the theory of evolution based on Dr. Morse. The other was the theory of the denial of human rights based on Hiroyuki Kato.

During his tenure at the university until August 1879, and during his third visit to Japan from 1882 to the following year, he lectured on evolution and the zoology based on it to various audiences outside the university, which became very popular. According to Morse's own recollections, his lectures held at places like the Ibumura-ro in Sugacho, Asakusa, were packed with an average of 600 to 800 people. His talks were easy to understand, and people were reportedly impressed by his ability to skillfully draw diagrams with both hands. Morse also drew attention for criticizing Christianity from a scholarly standpoint and clashing with missionaries.

And fourth, he recorded the appearance of Japan in detail and diligently collected Japanese pottery and folk tools. Morse was a diligent observer of Japanese civilization as well as a diligent chronicler of it. His book "Japan Day By Day" (1917), published exactly 100 years ago, is a masterpiece that conveys the appearance of Japan in those days through specific descriptions based on his diaries and abundant illustrations, and the vast number of items he collected in Japan have also become valuable materials.

There are several materials that show the relationship between Morse and Fukuzawa. First is the following passage in "Japan Day By Day" where Morse recorded his impression of Mr. Fukuzawa, or Yukichi Fukuzawa.

I received an invitation to lecture at Mr. Fukuzawa's famous school. Among the many distinguished people I met in Japan, Mr. Fukuzawa gave me the impression of being one of the people with the most solid energy and intelligence (Chapter 18, translated by Kinichi Ishikawa, Heibonsha Toyo Bunko).

According to the "Centennial History of Keio University," this lecture was held on July 11, 1879, and Mendenhall and Fenollosa also visited the Juku. Morse lectured on evolution with Ryokichi Yatabe interpreting, and used actual objects and blackboard diagrams to "strive to make the students understand the simple factors of natural selection" ("Japan Day By Day").

On the other hand, the Juku, which welcomed Morse, greeted him with demonstrations of jujutsu and kenjutsu ("Centennial History").

The kenjutsu in particular was on a large scale, a so-called "horoku" drill where 100 Keio students split into two teams and competed to break the ceramic plates on top of the opposing general's hood. This seems to have left a deep impression on Morse, as there is a detailed description in "Japan Day By Day."

At the Juku, which emphasized physical education, kenjutsu practice had been conducted since the previous year in addition to jujutsu. The number of Keio students at the time was about 300. The decision to show jujutsu and kenjutsu was likely the result of all the Keio students thinking of a welcome typical of the Juku. Also, since Morse's return home was near, I think there was a feeling of wanting to show him something memorable before he left Japan. What is interesting is that five days later, a theater performance was held to welcome the party of former U.S. President Grant, who was visiting Japan, where 71 geisha from Yanagibashi, Shimbashi, and other areas performed hand dances. In comparison, it can be said that the Juku's style went in the exact opposite direction of a geisha gathering.

It is not certain when Morse became acquainted with Fukuzawa. However, among those Morse interacted with after coming to Japan, there were many of Fukuzawa's acquaintances. These included Fujimaro Tanaka, Senior Vice Minister of Education; Arata Hamao, a Keio graduate and assistant director of the Departments of Law, Science, and Literature at the University of Tokyo; and Takato Egi, a regular teacher at the university's preparatory school. The two likely had opportunities to hear each other's names from mutual acquaintances. Among them, Egi was the person who looked after Fukuzawa's senior disciple Jinzaburo Obata until the end when he died of illness in the United States, and after returning to Japan, he engaged in public speaking activities with Fukuzawa and Obata's older brother Tokujiro. Also, the period when Fukuzawa's sons Ichitaro and Sutejiro studied at the University of Tokyo Preparatory School likely overlapped with Egi's tenure.

In 1878, when the "Egi Gakko Kodankai," an academic lecture organization centered on Egi, was launched, both Fukuzawa and Morse became fellow members. At the inauguration ceremony on September 21, Morse delivered a congratulatory address following speeches by Fukuzawa and others (below is the advertisement in the "Yubin Hochi Shimbun").

Three months later, in a letter addressed to Fujimaro Tanaka, Fukuzawa mentioned the name "Morse" as one of the candidates for supplementary members of the Tokyo Academy (the origin of the Japan Academy), which was to be launched the following year. Since he wrote earlier in the letter that the selection should prioritize age and conduct, it appears he already placed trust in Morse's character.

Furthermore, "Japan Day By Day" contains a story that Morse heard from Fukuzawa about the history of scholarly gatherings in Japan. It is unclear whether the conversation between the two took place before or after the aforementioned letter, but if it was before, Morse's interest in and understanding of Japanese scholarly organizations might have been one reason why Fukuzawa recommended him.

In June 1882, Morse made his third visit to Japan. It was a trip to collect works of art, and his friend Bigelow came with him. In response to a call from three University of Tokyo professors—Toyama, Yatabe, and Kikuchi—34 people who knew Morse gathered at the Tsukiji Seiyoken on June 22. Egi had passed away two years earlier, but Fukuzawa was present along with Fujimaro Tanaka, Hiroyuki Kato, Arata Hamao, Amane Nishi, Rinsho Mitsukuri, Sen Tsuda, Takahira Kanda, Kakichi Mitsukuri, Ichizo Hattori, Mokichi Fujita, Kentaro Kaneko, Tetsujiro Inoue, and others.

The banquet welcoming the two American friends reportedly lasted from around 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. In "Japan Day By Day," after recording episodes from that time, such as how he was happy to have greeted each person and remembered the names of everyone who participated, Morse reminisced, "This meeting was certainly the most pleasant in my experience." He must have been truly happy to reunite with old friends and receive their warm hospitality.

By the way, looking at the 10th issue of "Toyo Gakugei Zasshi" (July 1882), which reported on this welcome party, a summary of the speech Fukuzawa gave on that occasion is included.

Bigelow spoke about the importance and necessity of Japanese people painting in traditional Japanese ways, and Morse followed by stating, "Western interest in Japan has been cultivated over many years and every house has Japanese-style items, so Japanese people should use Japanese things; it is not good to use Western goods instead of Japanese things." The magazine introduced the words Fukuzawa spoke in response as follows:

...Next, Mr. Yukichi Fukuzawa said that the reason Japanese people are delighted with Mr. Morse and Mr. Morse likes Japan is not because Japanese people have an innate nature to lean toward science and dislike religion, but only because in Japan since ancient times, religion has not bound the human heart as severely as in the West, etc... (Punctuation by Okubo)

Hearing Morse's words, Fukuzawa contrasted Morse's love for Japan with the Japanese people who flocked to his lectures to hear him speak, and analyzed it from a sort of civilization theory perspective, suggesting that the Japanese fondness for Morse is by no means due to a scientific orientation or a dislike of religion, but rather that the background is likely that religion has not bound people's hearts in Japan as much as in the West since ancient times. Although it is a summary of the talk, this article is valuable as a record of the actual interaction between the two.

The following year, 1883, Morse returned to Salem, Massachusetts, about 20 kilometers northeast of Boston, and did not come to Japan thereafter, but the connection between the two continued. This was because Fukuzawa's second son, Sutejiro, who went to study in the United States with his older brother Ichitaro that same year, received help from Morse when entering the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and visited him frequently thereafter. Likely learning of this from Sutejiro's reports, Fukuzawa wrote a letter to Morse dated August 13, 1884, expressing his gratitude for the care shown to Sutejiro and the Korean student Yu Kil-jun, who had also studied at the Juku. At the time, Sutejiro seemed to be visiting Morse almost every day, and the letter also says, "I hope he is not interfering with your work; since he is but a boy, please advise him if you notice anything."

Sutejiro apparently continued to visit Morse from time to time, and two years later, Fukuzawa sent a roll of chirimen silk to Sutejiro for Morse. He likely thought of having him wear a Japanese kimono or haori. Also, in November 1887, Sutejiro took his brother-in-law Momosuke to Morse's house and reportedly enjoyed "various interesting games." Since Morse loved enjoying games with children and students, that side of him must have been displayed without reserve toward the young men of the Fukuzawa family.

After Ichitaro and Sutejiro set off for home in June 1888, no traces of contact between Morse and Fukuzawa can be found. However, Morse always looked forward to guests from Japan and welcomed them warmly when they came, and as travel between Japan and the U.S. became more frequent year by year, there were likely opportunities to hear news of each other. Morse, who was three years younger than Fukuzawa, continued to work energetically as an expert in zoology, anthropology, and Japanese culture until his later years, and on December 20, 1925, he ended his life of 87 and a half years in his familiar Salem. Two days later, it is said that news on the radio, which had begun broadcasting that year, conveyed the news of his death to the Japanese people.